The Microsoft Surface Book 3 might be coming soon, and when it arrives it will be packing significant upgrades, and in various departments. In the meantime, here’s what we’d like to see with some of those Microsoft laptop improvements.
Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 was a popular option for those looking for an alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro. However, after being released all the way back in 2017, the Surface Book 2 is less of a good buy today as it once was. This has led to many wondering when a newer version will come through, and while there’s still no official word on this, 2020 is looking like an increasingly good bet.
One area where the Surface Book 3 is unlikely to change too much is in the design. That is, unless Microsoft has had some major change of heart recently. The Surface Book 2 stuck very closely to the design of the original model and it seems likely Microsoft will bet on a similar design once again. However, considering the design was one of the most popular features with the Surface Book, that might not be a bad thing. In contrast, one area where you can guarantee an improvement is in the specs department. Three years is a long time in the electronics world and this means buyers of the Surface Book 3 should, at a minimum, expect a big bump in the spec's department. If the recent rumors detailed by Petri are correct, then the new version will come loaded with up to 32GB RAM, 10th Gen Intel processors, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 series GPUs.
What The Surface Book 3 Needs
One of the major criticisms of the Surface Book 2 was the price. With such cost there’s always the expectation of the best of everything, but the Surface Book 2 did not offer that. While it excelled in certain areas, it lacked in others, and for some that results in an uneven experience overall. It is hoped the new model will come with a more consistently high-end experience which brings us to the first wish list item - better speakers. There was nothing functionally wrong with the speakers on the Surface Book 2 and for many, they did the job. However, the way media is consumed has drastically changed - even since 2017. With the advent of video and game-streaming, it would be hoped the new Surface Book 3 comes with even better speakers, and certainly speakers that pack more of a punch.
Continuing with the price, it would be hoped the Surface Book 3 also offers improved GPU performance. Similar to the speakers, there was nothing majorly wrong with gaming on the Surface Book 2 and many even praised the device for its gaming chops at the time. However, the times are changing and increased GPU performance has become even more important, and not just for gaming. The recent suggestion GeForce GTX 16 series GPUs are included is encouraging, but an RTX 2060 would probably be better received. One of the main differences often touted between the RTX and the GTX lines is ray tracing, although that difference has been lessened with NVIDIA rolling out a new driver that switches on ray tracing for GTX GPUs, including the 16 series.
What The Surface Book 3 REALLY Needs
While the points described in the last section are ones that would further enrich the experience, there are some improvements that are essential needs for the Surface Book 3. For example, one of the upgrades the Surface Book 3 really needs is Thunderbolt 3. Arguably, this is what the Surface Book 2 needed which only further goes to highlight how much it is needed this time around. Then there is the need for a true 4K display. In reality, the display is another area that might feel like an unnecessary criticism considering how popular the display was on the last model. However, and regardless of how nearly the Surface Book's 3240 x 2160 resolution was, that’s not a true 4K screen. The Microsoft Surface Book 3 really does need a lower price than the Surface Book 2 as well, although that’s unlikely to happen and especially if even half of what’s on this wish list is included.
Source: Petri